Well, it wasn't bad but it was too long. Two stories mixed together. A girl who doesn't know she's an heiress must be protected from fortune-hunters, and a criminal plans to destroy the world's fields of wheat to make it dependent on Germany's supply. I did not like the comments on "Germans are..." same way as I never like that kind of comments (exchange name and adjectives and at all ages people say things like that, as if people of the same Country were all the same, which is so wrong and unreal, come on) but of course this book dates 1919, so I guess the sentiment is understandable somehow.
There's Oliva (:-D) Cresswell, the young heiress: Mr Kitson is her secret guardian and Mr Beale the man he brought from America to London to protect her. While doing so, Beale discovers a much bigger scheme and threat than a simple fortune-hunter. Doctor Van Heerden had killed old Milliborn to learn the heiress secret identity, and had set himself to pursue her, marry her and get legally access to all her fortune in order to finance his criminal plan. He's German and he hates England and America and he has employed all his resources to ruin them, as well as the rest of the world. He is preparing big quantity of this "green rust", that once released on a wheat field it will spread and destroy it all for ten years, so the world will face starvation and will be forced to buy from Germany at whatever price. Beale prevents Van Heerden from marrying Oliva by marrying her first, then he prevents the disaster by catching him before he's had a chance to communicate with his men around the world, to order them to start the destruction. Jolly good, but what's not clear to me is why he was producing green rust here (well, in London) if his 'agents' around the globe already had it, and if they did not have it, how did he send so much abroad, while he was being watched, and had planned to use pidgeons to send his orders?
Conclusion, not a bad book, it is a pleasant enough read, alright, although not one of his best.
ITA la ruggine verde
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